Boots (The Killers song)
Encyclopedia
"Boots" is a Christmas
song by Las Vegas rock
band The Killers, which was released as a digital download on November 30, 2010, despite the band being on hiatus. All proceeds from the song go to AIDS
charities as part of the (PRODUCT)RED
campaign, headed by Bono
and Bobby Shriver.
The song continues on with The Killers' tradition of releasing a Christmas song every year, and is the fifth consecutive annual Christmas song since 2006, the others being "A Great Big Sled
", "Don't Shoot Me Santa
", "Joseph, Better You Than Me
" and "¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!
". Lead singer Brandon Flowers is quoted as saying, "Our Christmas single with (RED) is one of our traditions as a band. We didn't want to let it fall by the wayside just because we're on hiatus; this cause is too important".
All proceeds from the Christmas singles benefit the Product Red
campaign.
This is the first Killers release to not feature their trademark neon light styled logo on the cover. Instead, the cover seems to be drawing inspiration from the DVD releases covers of the 1941 film Citizen Kane
and other 1940s-era black-and-white film title card logos.
The snowglobe with boots in it is also a reference to Citizen Kane, as the opening scene shows the main character, Charles Foster Kane
, dying while looking into a snowglobe.
The song features dialogue from the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life
.
and T. C. Christensen
, premiered exclusively on the Starbucks
website on December 1, 2010 (World AIDS Day
) with Starbucks paying $0.05 for every view towards the cause. The video begins with a clip of George Bailey praying from It's a Wonderful Life
and features Brad Prowly
aka "Super Bad Brad", a famous New York City street performer.
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
song by Las Vegas rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Killers, which was released as a digital download on November 30, 2010, despite the band being on hiatus. All proceeds from the song go to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
charities as part of the (PRODUCT)RED
Product Red
Product Red, styled as RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express , Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics , Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Dell...
campaign, headed by Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
and Bobby Shriver.
The song continues on with The Killers' tradition of releasing a Christmas song every year, and is the fifth consecutive annual Christmas song since 2006, the others being "A Great Big Sled
A Great Big Sled
"A Great Big Sled" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. It was recorded in mid-November 2006 with record producer Alan Moulder as a one-off track and the band's Christmas 2006 single. Moulder's wife Toni Halliday, the former lead vocalist of Curve, features on backing vocals.The song...
", "Don't Shoot Me Santa
Don't Shoot Me Santa
"Don't Shoot Me Santa" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song was released , as a digital download. A portion of the proceeds from this song went to AIDS charities as part of the RED campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver...
", "Joseph, Better You Than Me
Joseph, Better You Than Me
"Joseph, Better You than Me" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers featuring Elton John and Neil Tennant. The song was released on as a download-only single. All proceeds from the song benefit the Product Red campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver...
" and "¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!
¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!
"¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe!" is a Christmas song by Las Vegas rock band The Killers featuring Wild Light and Mariachi El Bronx, released as a digital download on December 1, 2009....
". Lead singer Brandon Flowers is quoted as saying, "Our Christmas single with (RED) is one of our traditions as a band. We didn't want to let it fall by the wayside just because we're on hiatus; this cause is too important".
All proceeds from the Christmas singles benefit the Product Red
Product Red
Product Red, styled as RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express , Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics , Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Dell...
campaign.
This is the first Killers release to not feature their trademark neon light styled logo on the cover. Instead, the cover seems to be drawing inspiration from the DVD releases covers of the 1941 film Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
and other 1940s-era black-and-white film title card logos.
The snowglobe with boots in it is also a reference to Citizen Kane, as the opening scene shows the main character, Charles Foster Kane
Charles Foster Kane
Charles Foster Kane is a fictional character and the subject of Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane. Welles played Kane , with Buddy Swan playing Kane as a child...
, dying while looking into a snowglobe.
The song features dialogue from the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
.
Music video
The music video, directed by Jared HessJared Hess
Jared Lawrence Hess is an American filmmaker known for his work Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre , which he co-wrote and directed with his wife, Jerusha Hess....
and T. C. Christensen
T. C. Christensen
Tom C. Christensen is an American filmmaker. His films range from Joseph Smith: The Man in 1980 to Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men in 2008. He grew up in Davis County, Utah....
, premiered exclusively on the Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
website on December 1, 2010 (World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
) with Starbucks paying $0.05 for every view towards the cause. The video begins with a clip of George Bailey praying from It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
and features Brad Prowly
Brad Prowly
Brad Prowly aka "Super Bad Brad" born in 1962 is a New York City street performer frequently appearing in the Greenwich Village area, performing R&B classics with the aid of a Boombox and microphone....
aka "Super Bad Brad", a famous New York City street performer.
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |